Piano attachment



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. O. POLK. PIANO ATTACHMENT.

No. 443,538. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

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(No Model.) '2 Sheets Sheet 2.

O. G. POLK. PIANO ATTACHMENT.

Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

CALEB C. POLK, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. THORNBURG, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,538, dated December 30,1890.

Application filed August 1, 1890- Serial No.360,'728. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALEB C. POLK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rich mond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano Attachments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is well known that while the Italian harp is one of the most beautiful of instrumentsit is also one of the most expensive, to say nothing of the amount of time and expense required to keep it in proper condition, and therefore an attachment which will cause a piano to produce the same eifect is eminently desirable.

My present invention therefore has for its Object to provide an attachment for a piano whereby the quality of the tones of the piano may be made to resemble those of an Italian harp, mandolin, zither, guitar, banjo, or other stringed instrument, and also whereby the effect of a duet between the piano and any of these instruments may be produced.

To these ends the invention consists in cer-' tain improved constructions and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and the novel features pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the application of one form of my invention to an upright-piano action, one key only being shown; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same form, showing the parts in difierent positions in dotted lines; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a modified form of attachment; Fig. 4:, a side elevation showing its application to akey Fig.5, aperspective view of another modification; Fig. 6, a side elevation showing its application to akey; Fig. 7, a side elevation, and Fig. 8 a plan view, of another modified form; Figs. 9 and 10 are modified forms of dampers.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to employ a series of dampers or snares of peculiar construction, or a single damper, if desired, applicable to all the strings, or to those of certain tones, and to locate these dampers so that the operator may bring them into contact with the strings, when desired, causing a surging or snared quality of tone resembling that of an Italian harp. The material employed for this purpose is, preferably, dru mhead-parchment, though a thin strip or reed of any dense material-such as steel, iron, brass, tanned skins, mica, rawhide, paper, celluloid, and the like-will probably answer the same purpose. However, I prefer drum-headparchment or calfskin, both because of its cheapness and on account of its ready application. The construction and manner of mounting these dampers or reeds, and the means for bringing them into contact with the strings of the piano, are various, and several Ways are shown in the drawings. For instance, in Figs. 1 to 8 they are shown designated by the numberal 1, as constructed of the before-mentioned parchment cut into thin strips, one preferably for each string, secured at one end to a bar 2, while the upper or free end is secured by a screw 3, passing through it and entering said bar, so that by adjusting the screwthe distance the damper projects beyond the bar can be regulated, and thus all of them lined up, when desired.

In Figs. 9 and 10 modified forms are shown, the first-mentioned one showing the parchment or other similar material doubled and the two ends fastened to bar 2, while in the latter the damper is formed of a continuous piece of parchment stretching over several strings having its edges fastened to the opposite sides of the bar bulging out, as before,in the form of a letter D, the belly engaging the strings,vas will be described.

The construction shown in Fig. 1 possesses the advantage of enabling the damper to be adjusted. \Vhile the last-mentioned form is much cheaper than if made on a form, and the bar 2 maintained in strict parallelism with the strings, it is probable that no independent adjustment would be required.

The form shown in Fig. 9 maybe adjusted by a screw 50, if desired, passing through the bar and turning the belly of the damper from it, the elasticity of the material keeping it against the screw.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a preferred means of supporting and moving the dampers or snares into contact with the strings by the movement of the soft. pedal of an upright piano. In said figures an ordinary piano-aetion is shown tindicating the hammer; 5,the jack; 6, the hammer-check; S, the hammcn rest rail; 7, the damper; 9, the key-lever, and the damper-rail, all of which parts are of the ordinary or any preferred construction.

As usual, the ham mer-rest rail 8 is con nected to the soft pedal, (not shown,) and by its position limits the retraction of the ham mers and consequently the force of the stroke. The rail or bar 2 to which the dampers or snares are connected (either in the continuous or single forms shown) extends across in front of the strings 11, and is support-ed from the damper-rail 10, upon spring-arms 12, located suitable distances apart, said springs tending to force the snares or dampers 1 into contact with the strings. Connected to the bar 2 are cords 1-3, attached at one end to the hammer-rest rail 8 and at an intermediate point with arms l-i, projecting from a bar or rock-shaft 15, mounted in suitable bearings on top of rail 10. This rock-shaft is provided at one or both ends with an arm or lever 17, adapted to be engaged by the lower portion of rail 8, when the latter is moved forward. The normal position of the rail 8 being that shown in :full lines, Fig. 2, the damp ers or snares will of course be kept normally out of contact with the strings.

The operation of this form of the invention will 110w be readily understood. \Vhen the performer desires to produce the effect of a harp or whatever instrument the snares are adapted to counterfeit, he presses lightly on the soft pedal, thereby moving the rail 8 to the first position to the left, (indicated by the broken lines,) which loosens cords 13 and allows the spring-arms 12 to force the dampers or snares 1 into contact with the strings, and thus produce the effect desired, modulating it by manipulating the pedal between these points, as desired. When, however, it is desired to use the soft pedal without the harp attachment, the pedal is operated to move the rail 8 to the position shown in dotted lines at the extreme left, and this will first loosen the cords; but as soon as the rail strikes the end of lever 17 the cords will be drawn taut through the shaft 15 and arms ll and the dampers removed from the strings again. The amount of movement permitted the rail 8 before operating on lever 17 need notbe great, so that even du riu g the performance of a piece of music the soft pedal may be used ett'cctivcly without causing the harp attachment to become operative.

Instead of the cord arrangement between the dampers and the hammer-rest rail, a lever could be employed, if desired, the details readily occurring to one skilled in the art.

In Figs. 3 and & instead of supporting rail 2 011 the spring-arms previously shown I attach it to rods 19, projecting through rail 10, provided with the angular front ends, as

shown, and locate upon the rail 10 a bar E30, 1' rovided with suitable cam projections 21 and held in position by suitable guides 22, said bar being moved in one direction and held by a spring 23, arranged at one end, so that the cams 2i are out of engagement with the arms on the ends of rods 19; but said bar 20 is adapted to be moved in the opposite direction by a bell-crank lever 2t, pivoted on rail 10, having one end engaging the bar and the other in position to be actuated by a sliding rod 25, which latter is in turn actuated by a key 26 and a cam 27, arranged near the keyboard in convenient position to be moved by the performer. The rods iii] are encircled by springs 28, tending to press the damper-bar 2 toward the rail and apply the snares or dampers. in normal position the cam 27 is turned down to the position shown in full lines, Fig. -l,moving the slide-bar 20and holding the dampers out of engagement; but when desired to apply the attachment the cam is moved out, as in dotted lines, permitting springs 28 to apply it, as will be understood.

In Figs. 5 and 13 instead of employinga sliding bar I provide a rock-shaft 30 on top of bar 10 and locate arms 31. upon it for engaging the ends of rods 1.) and retracting them and provide one or more arms 32 in the shaft operated upon by red 25, as in the previouslydescribcd modification.

In Figs. 7 and S a modilication combining some of the features of Figs. 1 and 3 are employed, the sliding bar 20 being located on rail 10, actuated in one direction to apply the dampers or snares, while a bell-crank lever 35 is pivoted on the rail 10 for moving it. The hammer-rest rail 8 is connected by a cord 36 with rod 19, thereby holding the bar 2 retracted, and is provided with an arm 37 for co-operatin g with lever 35 to remove the snares from the strings. The operation of this is the same as that form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the soft pedal is operated slightly the cord is slackened and the snares applied; but when operated fully, the arm 37 operates lever 35, removing them.

It will be understood that with such modifications as will readily occur to one skilled. in the art, the invention can readily be applied to square and grand pianos, and I therefore do not desire to be confined to the precise construction herein shown.

This attachment can readily be applied to instruments already constructed and in use, and no skill or special training is necessary in order to use it and produce beautiful musical effects. I

Instead of the connection shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8, it will be understood connections could readily be made between any other form of pedal attachment than the one hercin shown embodying the rail 8, so that the at tachment would be applied by the limited operation of the pedal.

The term resonant damper or snare is used in the claims to indicate any material that will not deaden the sound completely, as would felt or similar material, but will give a more or less twanging sound, such as is characteristic of the instruments before mentioned; but it is obvious that some of the parts herein shown could be used with other materialthan those mentioned.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a piano attachment, the combination, with a bar extending transversely across the strings of a piano, and a series of resonant snares or dampers mounted thereon and independently adjustable toward and from the strings, of means for moving said bar so as to cause the dampers to engage the strings, substantially as described.

2. A snare or damper for piano-strings, consisting of a piece of thin resonant material formed into a bow and supported at both its ends and adapted to be brought in contact with a piano string, substantially as de scribed.

3. In a damper or snare for pianos, the combination, with the support, of the pieces of resonant material fixedly secured to said support at one end and adjustably secured thereto at the opposite end, substantially as described.

4. In a piano attachment, the combination, with the bar carrying the resonant damper or snare surface, and a spring or springs for moving said surface into contact with the strings of a piano, of means controlled by the performer for permitting the operation of the springs and the movement of the bar, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a snare or damper of resonant material adapted to be applied to the strings of a piano, of aspring for causing the application of said damper, the movable operated by a pedal ettecting the amplitude of vibration of the strings, (as the hammerrest rail,) connections between said part and v the damper for causing the application of the latter by a partial movement, and a device, such as a lever, operated upon by the said part, for causing the removal of the damper when moved farther in one direction, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a snare or damper of resonant material adapted to be applied to the strings of a piano, and the spring for operating it, of the hammer-rest rail, connections between it and the damper, and the lever actuated by the rail and operating on the damper, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a damper, springs for operating it, the movable rail or bar, and connections between the rail and damper, of the rock-shaft attached to the connection between the rail and damper and the arm on the rock-shaft operated upon by the rail, substantially as described.

9. The oombination,with the bar or rail having a series of snare or damper surfaces thereon, of the spring-arms supporting the same, the movable rail or bar, the cord connecting said rail and first-mentioned one, the rockshaft connected to the cord, and the lever operated upon by the movable rail for removing the dampers, substantially as described.

CALEB C. POLK. llitnesses:

RICHARD L. MORE, Geo. It. WILLIAMs. 

